What Does 'SEO Writer' Mean? [+ SEO Content Writing Examples]

Wondering what ‘SEO writer’ means? To answer your questions and demystify the jargon, this guide will teach you what an SEO writer is and why their work is essential to website performance.

As an SEO writer with almost a decade of professional experience, I’ve partnered with high-profile retail brands, earned awards, and most importantly, propelled clients to the coveted #1 spots on Google. Now, I’m here to guide you through the ins and outs of SEO content writing.

Let’s dive in to discover:

What ‘SEO writer’ means
The 5 biggest SEO content myths
What SEO writing entails
Real-life examples of SEO content writing in practice

Table of Contents

Let’s start with the essentials: what does ‘SEO writer’ mean?

SEO stands for ‘search engine optimisation’. Therefore, SEO writer means ‘search engine optimisation writer’.

Search engines play a crucial role in connecting users with the information they seek. However, with vast amounts of online content available, it can be challenging for a company’s content to stand out. That’s where an SEO content writer comes in.

An SEO writer is a professional who specialises in creating content that is not only well-written, valuable and engaging but is also optimised for search engine visibility. To put it simply, SEO writers craft content appealing to both search engines and human readers.

No, we’re not just writing for robots.

For businesses, SEO content writing is essential to appear in search results and meet potential customers there with content that’s relevant, informative and valuable. Click here to read more about how SEO writing helps businesses.

We’ll delve into what SEO content looks like in a second. First, let’s take a look at what SEO writing is not.

SEO content writing myths and misconceptions

As with many specialisms, SEO writing falls victim to a few myths and misconceptions that can cloud understanding of its value. Let’s debunk some of the common misunderstandings surrounding SEO content.

Myth #1: SEO writing is just about stuffing keywords

I had to start with this one because it is the classic.

Every SEO writer has been there. You’re enjoying a family outing when your almost-retired IT contractor uncle chuckles and remarks, ‘SEO is just about copying and pasting keywords hundreds of times at the bottom of every webpage.’

No, Uncle Jim, it is not. Not only have you belittled my career, but you have ruined family lunch.

This is probably the biggest prevailing myth about SEO writing. The idea is that simply pasting keywords on a webpage thousands of times is enough to trick Google into ranking you highly for that search term.

And okay, back in Uncle Jim’s day, that actually was the case. This misconception is a vestige of a time, from long before today’s more advanced search engine algorithms, when Google’s main ranking factor was keyword quantity.

But that kind of thing just won’t fly with Google (or any other search engine) today.

This practice of ‘keyword stuffing’ leads to poor user experience (because who wants to read a page of content saying ‘cat food’ over and over 1,000 times?) and penalties from search engines.

Okay, maybe this fella would want to read ‘cat food’ over and over 1,000 times.

Myth #2: SEO writing is only for search engines, not human readers

Another misconception is that SEO writing sacrifices content quality and readability to cater solely to search engines. Again, this is not correct.

Effective SEO writing strikes a balance between optimising content for search engines and creating engaging, valuable and user-friendly content for human readers.

Perhaps counter-intuitively, the better search engine algorithms become, the more SEO content writers should prioritise the human experience. Let me explain.

Search engines’ sole purpose is to give users the result they want. They’re all about understanding user queries, uncovering sought-after value and identifying the most helpful content — whether that’s a YouTube video or listicle. The smarter search engines become, the better they get at giving us human-centric content that truly enhances our online journey. (Not keyword stuffing, as mentioned in the previous section!)

So while search engines are one factor determining SEO writing, human readers are far from being ignored.

Myth #3: SEO writing is a one-time effort

Some believe that SEO content writing is a one-time task. You optimise your article, make it all shiny and pretty, upload it to your CMS and then forget about it.

In actuality, SEO content writing is an ongoing process.

SEO content requires continuous monitoring to see how pieces are performing in terms of sessions and keyword positions. Search engine algorithms change frequently, user search behaviour evolves and new competitors emerge. All of these factors can cause fluctuations in performance. Your once top-performing SEO content piece could be knocked off its pedestal.

Luckily, a good SEO writer will monitor content performance, identifying pieces which could do with a refresh to help them regain their top positions.

Myth #4: SEO content writing is all about quantity over quality

Just create a tonne of sub-par SEO content targeting every keyword under the sun, and you’ll soon dominate Google, right?

Uh, wrong.

Contrary to popular belief, creating any old SEO content to target a whole bunch of keywords is unlikely to do you much good.

Search engine algorithms are wired to give people what they want when they enter a search term. And people want content of quality.

That being said, consistently producing fresh and relevant SEO content is important. It indicates to search engines that you’re actively producing and updating material on your website. This shows it’s up-to-date and rank-worthy. However, it’s equally crucial to deliver valuable information and solutions to your audience.

A term that’s thrown around a lot is, ‘post quality content, consistently.’ Strive for a balance between quality and quantity, and you’ll be onto a winner.

Myth #5: SEO writing guarantees immediate results

Keywords are not like popcorn. You don’t just bang them in and all of a sudden there you are, popping up all over Google.

SEO content writing is a long-term strategy. It requires patience, persistence, time and effort. It’s unrealistic to expect overnight success.

Instead, consistent and quality SEO content creation can yield gradual improvements and sustainable long-term results.

What does an SEO writer’s role look like in practice?

We’ve talked a lot about content quality, keywords and the myths surrounding SEO writing. But, what does an SEO content writer’s role actually entail?

Here are a few of the tasks you’ll find an SEO writer working on regularly in their day-to-day.

Keyword research

SEO content writers use various tools and techniques to identify relevant keywords with high search volumes and low-to-moderate competition. These keywords serve as the foundation for optimising SEO content to improve search engine rankings.

SEO content writing

SEO writers are responsible for researching, drafting and editing content. This includes ensuring it meets the reader’s search intent and provides genuine value through expert insights, in-depth research, new data or other unique value. This is essential for ranking on SERPs and gaining credibility and trust with an audience.

Onsite optimisation

SEO writers ensure that content meta tags, headings and overall structure are optimised for search engines and the keyword the content is targeting. This also includes checking the SEO content is optimised for readability, uses images and other media, and crosslinks to other relevant pages of the website.

Real-life SEO content writing examples

The best way to show how SEO writing works in practice is to look at some real-life examples of content that effectively utilises SEO techniques.

You could do this by simply searching Google and seeing what comes up on top, of course. Or, you can scroll down to see a couple I’ve selected, with a breakdown of why they’re so great.

Example #1: ‘54 Countries With Digital Nomad Visas – The Ultimate List’ (Source: Nomad Girl: https://nomadgirl.co/countries-with-digital-nomad-visas/)

Type ‘nomad visa’ into Google and this Nomad Girl article is the first thing that pops up.

It’s an excellent example of SEO content writing, serving as a valuable comprehensive guide to digital nomad visas all over the world.

The content ranks for over 300 keywords, including the top position for 9:

digital nomads visa (monthly search volume: 4400)
digital nomad visas (monthly search volume: 4400)
nomad visa (monthly search volume: 720)
digital nomad visa countries (monthly search volume: 170)
countries with digital nomad visa (monthly search volume: 140)
countries with digital nomad visas (monthly search volume: 140)
nomad visa countries (monthly search volume: 140)
digital visa (monthly search volume: 70)
digital nomad countries (monthly search volume: 90)

Add that all up, and you’re getting a picture of the kind of monthly traffic successful SEO content can rake in.

Example #2: ‘How Much do TikTok Ads Cost?’ (Source: Influencer marketing Hub — https://influencermarketinghub.com/how-much-do-tiktok-ads-cost/)

The marketing whizzes at Influencer Marketing Hub show off their expertise in this perfectly-optimised SEO article.

Here are a few things that make this SEO content so great:

The content targets relevant keywords like ‘TikTok ads cost’, ‘TikTok advertising costs’ and ‘how much does TikTok advertising cost?’ — all of which it ranks in position 1 for.
It links to related content the reader might enjoy for easy navigation and to keep them on the website.
The summary at the top of the page provides a table of contents linking the reader to the relevant section of the article.
It uses engaging headings, subheadings and bullet points to enhance readability and user experience.
The post includes plenty of research, including data visualisations, charts and diagrams to highlight its points. This includes external links to reputable sources, adding credibility and authority to the SEO content.

Working with an SEO writer

If you’re ready to take your content to the next level and improve your online presence, I’d be happy to help. As an award-winning SEO writer and content marketing strategist, I understand the intricacies of SEO writing and can help you achieve your goals.

Sources

All gifs sourced via Giphy.

What Does ‘SEO Writer’ Mean? [+ SEO Content Writing Examples]